Inline skate with side wheel assemblies

ABSTRACT

An inline skate is provided with a boot including a sole; a frame; a closure member; wheels arranged in a straight line on a bottom of the frame; two opposite male sockets disposed on both sides of a rear portion of the frame respectively, each male socket including a rear aperture; two side wheel assemblies each including a wheel mount, a wheel member in the wheel mount, and a female socket extending out of the wheel mount to complimentarily dispose in the male socket and having a rear aperture member; and two spring depressible detents mounted in the female sockets respectively and each including a ball at an end. In a locked position, the ball protrudes out of the aperture member to partially pass through the aperture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to inline skates and more particularly to aninline skate having two side wheel assemblies releasably mounted toframe for keeping a skater's balance and maintaining stability whenskating.

2. Description of Related Art

Skating has been a popular exercise and sporting for a long period oftime. In these few decades, inline skates become more and more popularthat contains four or five wheels arranged in a straight line manner.The inline skate enables a skater to travel at high speed.

However, a skater, especially a child beginning to learn how to skate,tends to tip or even hurt in practice. In often times, this canfrustrate the skater. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an inline skatecomprising a boot including a sole; a frame mounted on an underside ofthe sole; a closure member releasably secured to a top of a rear end ofthe boot; a plurality of wheels arranged in a straight line on a bottomof the frame; two opposite male sockets disposed on both sides of a rearportion of the frame respectively, each of the male sockets including arear aperture; two side wheel assemblies each including a wheel mount, awheel member mounted in the wheel mount, and a female socket extendingout of the wheel mount to complimentarily dispose in one of the malesockets and having a rear aperture member; and two spring depressibledetents mounted in the female sockets respectively and each including aball mounted at an end; wherein in a locked position, the ball protrudesout of the aperture member to partially pass through the aperture.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description taken withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inline skate according to a firstpreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the inline skate;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the inline skate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of an inline skate according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, an inline skate in accordance with a firstpreferred embodiment of the invention comprises following components asdiscussed in detail below.

A boot 1 includes a sole 11. A frame 2 is mounted on an underside of thesole 11. Two opposite male sockets 5 are provided on both sides of arear portion of the frame 2 respectively. The male socket 5 has a hollow10 and an aperture 50 on a rear surface. The hollow 10 of one malesocket 5 is aligned with and communicates with the hollow 10 of theother male socket 5. A closure member 3 is releasably secured to a topof a heel portion of the boot 1. Four wheels 12 are arranged in astraight line on a bottom of the frame 2.

Two side wheel assemblies 4 are subject of the invention. The side wheelassembly 4 comprises a wheel mount 40, a female socket 400 extending outof one side of the wheel mount 40, and a wheel 43 rotatably mounted inthe wheel mount 40. The female socket 400 has an aperture member 410 ona rear surface. The female socket 400 is complimentarily received in themale socket 5. An elastic member 41 and a steel ball 42 mounted on oneend of the elastic member 41 are disposed in the female socket 400. In alocked position (i.e., a ready to skate state), the steel ball 42protrudes out of the aperture member 410 of the female socket 400 topartially pass through the aperture 50 of the male socket 5 to beexposed.

It is envisaged by the invention that the side wheel assemblies 4 arereleasably mounted to frame 2. Thus the side wheel assemblies 4 have thefollowing advantages and characteristics. It can keep a skater's balanceand maintain stability when skating, thereby reducing possibility oftipping or falling to a minimum. For detaching the side wheel assembly4, an individual may press the steel ball 42 until the steel ball 42clears out of the aperture 50 of the male socket 5. Next, the individualmay remove the side wheel assembly 4 from the male socket 5 by pullingthe wheel mount 40.

Referring to FIG. 6, an inline skate with side wheel assemblies inaccordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.The characteristics of the second preferred embodiment are substantiallythe same as that of the first preferred embodiment except the following:

The male sockets 50 are eliminated with the hollows 10 formed in theframe 2. The aperture member 410 of the female socket 400 is eliminated.The female socket 400 is received in the hollow 10. A quick releaseskewer 6 comprises a lever and cam mechanism 61 at one end and internalthreads 64 at the other end; and a separate shaft 60 including anenlargement 62 at an end and a threaded second end 63. The quick releaseskewer 6 is inserted through the wheel mount 40 and the female socket400 of one side wheel assembly 4. The shaft 60 has its threaded secondend 63 inserted through the wheel mount 40 and the female socket 400 ofthe other side wheel assembly 4. Further, the internal threads 64 arethreadedly secured to the threaded second end 63. And in turn, a skatermay actuate the level and cam mechanism 61 to cause the female sockets400 to be clamped against the corresponding hollows 10. As a result, theside wheel assemblies 4 are mounted to the frame 2.

To the contrary, the skater may deactuate the level and cam mechanism 61to remove the side wheel assemblies 4 from the frame 2.

While the invention has been described in terms of preferredembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventioncan be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An inline skate comprising: a boot including asole; a frame mounted on an underside of the sole; a closure memberreleasably secured to a top of a rear end of the boot; a plurality ofwheels arranged in a straight line on a bottom of the frame; twoopposite male sockets disposed on both sides of a rear portion of theframe respectively, each of the male sockets including a rear aperture;two side wheel assemblies each including a wheel mount, a wheel membermounted in the wheel mount, and a female socket extending out of thewheel mount to complimentarily dispose in one of the male sockets andhaving a rear aperture member; and two spring depressible detentsmounted in the female sockets respectively and each including a ballmounted at an end; wherein in a locked position, the ball protrudes outof the aperture member to partially pass through the aperture.
 2. Aninline skate comprising: a boot including a sole; a frame mounted on anunderside of the sole; a closure member releasably secured to a top of arear end of the boot; a plurality of wheels arranged in a straight lineon a bottom of the frame; two hollows disposed on both sides of a rearportion of the frame respectively; two side wheel assemblies eachincluding a wheel mount, a wheel member mounted in the wheel mount, anda female socket extending out of the wheel mount to complimentarilydispose in one of the hollows; and a quick release skewer including alever and cam mechanism disposed through both the wheel mount and thefemale socket of one side wheel assembly, and a shaft disposed throughboth the wheel mount and the female socket of the other side wheelassembly, the shaft being releasably secured to the lever and cammechanism.